SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — A couple who survived the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel is speaking publicly in Sarasota.
Our Tampa Bay 28 reporter, Annette Gutierrez, sat down with Aviva and Keith Siegel, who told her they feel lucky to be alive.
"We touched death underneath the ground," Aviva said.
That day started like any normal day for the Siegels — until it wasn't. They said they were asleep when more than a dozen armed men broke into their home in Israel. The couple ran to their safe room, but the gunmen fired into it, dragged them out, and forced them outside.
"They pushed us through the window of our home. And they tore Aviva's meniscus in her knee, and my ribs were broken as they were pushing us through the window, down to the ground, and then they shot at us on the way to the car," Keith Siegel said.
They were eventually taken underground into a tunnel where they were held for days without food or water.
"I'll never forget - after a couple of days, Keith looked up and said that he can't breathe, and I told him just lie down and try to breathe. And that moment I stopped looking at Keith cause I was scared to see my husband dead in front me," Aviva Siegel said.
When asked how they survived such a horrific event, Aviva Siegel reflected on her mindset during captivity.
"I want to say the whole 51 days that I was there, I was just thinking - when am I going to die?" she said.
Aviva was held captive for 51 days, while Keith was held for 484 days.
"When you see someone that you love suffer - it's terrible as a human being. We're really lucky to be sitting here alive and using our words to fight for others," Keith Siegel said, becoming emotional.
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The couple has four children and five grandchildren. They come from the community of Kfar Aza, which had a population of about 950 people.
"On October the 7th - 62 were murdered by Hamas in our community," they said.
After finding freedom, the Siegels found purpose. Through an organization called IsraAID, they began helping people in Kakuma, a town in Kenya, Africa.
"It's an amazing opportunity for me to be a voice for the voiceless," Keith said.
"We went to a refugee camp of 300,000 people that are living there with nothing," Aviva said.
Now they're bringing that message of resilience to Sarasota. The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee hosted the couple Tuesday night at The Ora, where nearly 900 people were expected to attend.
"To see the resilience that Keith and Aviva have and bring with them is absolutely phenomenal," said Liat Alon, Chief Learning and Engagement Officer for the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.
"It's sharing a message of hope and solidarity and responsibility and shared values, regardless of religion, race, or any other difference," Alon said.
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